World Facts

conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
Capital: Zagreb
Type of Government: presidential/parliamentary democracy-
Administrative Divisions: 20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija, Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija, Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka Zupanija
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 16.4% (male 378,615/female 359,231)
Agriculture: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products
Airports: 68 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 23
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 56,542 sq km. slightly smaller than West Virginia
Background: The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.
Birth rate: 9.57 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $17.69 billion
Coastline: 5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)-
Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Communications:
Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001
Currency: kuna (HRK)
Current account balance: $-1.79 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 11.38 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $29.28 billion (30 June 2005 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph FRANK
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA
Disputes - international: discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small disputed sections of the boundary; the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; as a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia
Distribution of family income: 29 (2001)-
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: ODA $166.5 million (2002)
Economy - overview: Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area, with a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism, banking, and public investments leading the way. Unemployment remains high, at about 18 percent, with structural factors slowing its decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. Growth, while impressively about 3% to 4% for the last several years, has been stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits and rapid credit growth. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Environment - current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - International Agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Ethnic groups: Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)
Exchange rates: kuna per US dollar - 5.92 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687 (2002), 8.34 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)
Exports: $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Italy 23%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.4%, Germany 11.4%, Austria 9.6%, Slovenia 7.6% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Flag description: red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)
GDP (official exchange rate): $35.77 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $53.29 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.1%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 45 10 N, 15 30 E
Geography - note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 10 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 200 (2001 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4%
Illicit drugs: transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe
Imports: $18.93 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: Italy 17.1%, Germany 15.5%, Russia 7.3%, Slovenia 7.1%, Austria 6.9%, France 4.4% (2004)
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2005 est.)
Industries: chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages; tourism
Infant mortality rate: total: 6.84 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ACCT (observer), BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet country code: .hr
Internet hosts: 29,644 (2004)
Internet users: 1.014 million (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): 28.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the Assembly
Labor force: 1.71 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,197 km
Land use: arable land: 26.09%
Languages: Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)
Legal system: based on civil law system
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.45 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,005,058 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 725,914 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 29,020 (2005 est.)
Map references: Europe
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 39.97 years
Merchant marine: total: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 750,579 GRT/1,178,786 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $620 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.39% (2002 est.)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 6-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service; Croatian Military Police planning to end conscription in 2005 (December 2004)
National holiday: Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 is the day the Croatian Parliament voted for independence; following a 3-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia
Nationality: noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s)
Natural gas - consumption: 2.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: 1.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 34.36 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Natural resources: oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Net migration rate: 1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 90,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 20,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 93.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)-
People - note:
Political parties and leaders: Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna PUSIC]); Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Ivan CEHOK]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Forum or IDF [Luciano DELBIANCO]; Liberal Party or LS [Zlatko BENASIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 4,495,904 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 11% (2003)
Population growth rate: -0.02% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube)
Public debt: 52.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)
Railways: total: 2,726 km
Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 12,600 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-1995 war) (2004)
Religions: Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $8.811 billion (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 28,588 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.825 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.553 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)
Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 18.7% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around 14% (December 2004 est.)
Waterways: 785 km (2004)